2017 Boston Marathon kicks off with 'Banner Day' celebration

Celebrations for the upcoming 2017 Boston Marathon kicked off on Boylston Street Tuesday morning. Mayor Marty Walsh and former marathon champions joined John Hancock Executive Vice President James Gallagher in unveiling the marathon banners that will soon be seen across Boston.

"The Boston Marathon is a key part of our identity," Mayor Walsh said in front of a display of the banners outside Marathon Sports. "This is how we show the world that Boston is strong, that our traditions endure. These banners will help tell that story this year."

The banners, illustrated by John Hancock graphic designer Frank Michienzi, display photographs imposed on half-colored, half-blank illustrations that Michienzi said symbolizes the marathon "developing as it is goes along." Following the short ceremony on Tuesday, organizers say 500 banners will be hung around the city.

John Hancock is partnering with the The Boston Athletic Association to host the 121st Boston Marathon this April. John Hancock Financial, a Boston-based insurance company founded in 1862, has served as a sponsor of the Boston Marathon for more than 30 years. The company funds the banners that hang around the city, as well as an "Elite Athlete Team" that recruits runners from around the world.

Gallagher recounted the marathon's legacy, including how the 2016 women's division champion Atsede Baysa offered her medal to Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run the entire Boston Marathon despite being denied a spot in the race in 1966.

The event was joined by Boston Marathon Champion "Boston Bill" Rodgers, who won the race in 1975 and three consecutive times from 1978-1980, and U.S. Olympic marathoner Desiree Linden. After losing the 2011 marathon by two seconds, Linden will compete in this year's race, on Apri 17, to give it another shot.

"There's no room for the word impossible on Patriot's Day," Gallagher said.